Noy told: Just answer the questions

MANILA, Philippines - Just answer the 20 questions.

The Makabayan bloc of seven party-list representatives made this appeal to President Aquino yesterday after his spokesman claimed the Chief Executive has already answered most of the questions posed by the militant lawmakers regarding the Mamasapano incident.

“Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda’s dismissive generalization that the 20 questions posed by the Makabayan bloc to the President have already been answered is simply not true,” Rep. Antonio Tinio of
Alliance of Concerned Teachers, speaking for the group, said.

“It highlights yet again Malacañang’s stonewalling, evasiveness and selectivity in disclosing the President’s role in Mamasapano,” he said.

For instance, he said the President has not yet explained why he allowed then suspended Philippine National Police chief Director General Alan Purisima to take the lead in Oplan Exodus or the mission to arrest three terrorists in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last Jan. 25.

PNP Special Action Force (SAF) commandos killed their principal target, Malaysian Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, but lost 44 men in ensuing gun battles with guerrillas belonging to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and its breakaway faction, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

Two other targets, Amin Baco, also a Malaysian, and Marwan’s Filipino associate Abdul Basit Usman, escaped.

The MILF has claimed it lost 18 men. At least five civilians also died in the fighting.

The President has said Purisima was involved in Oplan Exodus because it was the PNP chief who worked on the SAF mission before the ombudsman suspended him on corruption charges.

Tinio said Aquino’s statement on Jan. 28 that the then PNP chief was involved only up to the time of his suspension was not even accurate. “Has the President ever disclosed to the public what he and Purisima discussed after meeting with then SAF chief Director Getulio Napeñas in Bahay Pangarap in Malacañang on Jan. 9?”

On that day, based on testimonies in congressional hearings and on information gathered by the PNP Board of Inquiry (BOI), Purisima, Napeñas and PNP intelligence chief Sr. Supt. Fernando Mendez briefed Aquino on Oplan Exodus.

The President had a one-on-one meeting with Purisima, then already suspended, after the briefing.

Emerging from the meeting, the suspended PNP chief “advised” Napeñas not to inform Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II and PNP officer-in-charge Deputy Director Leonardo Espina about the SAF mission until it was underway. Purisima told Napeñas he would take care of informing and coordinating Exodus with Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr.

Napeñas has said he followed his suspended PNP chief’s advice, treating it as an order from Aquino, given the circumstances under which it was given.

The former SAF chief claimed the President approved their “time on target” coordination, particularly with the military, meaning they would inform the AFP when the mission was underway or when their targets had been neutralized.

Aquino has said he ordered Purisima and Napeñas to coordinate with the AFP beforehand, since SAF counted possible enemy forces in the thousands, but that his directive was defied. He did not say if this was given during the Jan. 9 Palace meeting. – Christina Mendez